Fire-escape



(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. MOMULLIN.

' PIRE ESCAPE. No. 384,376. Patented June 12, 1888.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Modl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. MGMULLIN.

PIRE ESCAPE. No. 384,376. Patentedlue l2, 1888.

INVBNTOR L BY amg ATTORNEYS.

PUERS, Pmwumgnpmr, wnningkm. u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

'WILLIAM MCMULLTN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384.376, dated June 12,1888.

Application filed December 12, 18E?. Serial No.257,700. (No model.)

T0 @Z5 whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM McHULLiN, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved FireEscape, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in tire-escapes, and has for itsobject to provide a cheap, durable, permanent, and simple escape,whereby firemen may ascend to any door, being fully protected in theascent,and wherein part-ies may make their escape from a burningbuilding without danger of falling or suffocation.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of thevarious parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure l. is aperspective view of the escape; Fig. 2, a central verticalsection through the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 1r ofFig. 2. Fig. ft is a detail View of one of the steps. tubular support,and Fig. Gis a section through oneV of the spacingings.

l'n carrying out the invent-ion, the escape consists of a well, A, builtpartially in the wall and partially outside, as illustrated in Fig. 1.The well is provided at the base a with a tireproof door, b, and alsowith others of a similar nature, leading out upon each door of the upper stories. The well is built preferably of common hard-burned brickand mortar, with or without an interior coating, and the doors may bemade of Cast or malleable iron, prci erably the latter.

The walls of the well A are adapted to rise about six feet above theroof with a door leading ont thereon, and the said well at the top isprovided with a hood or covering, B, also reproof, of greater diameterat the base than the diameter of the weil, the said hood being attachedto the well in such manner that an opening, Zi', is left between the topof the well and the sides of the hood, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit acirculation of air and an exit of any smoke which may accumulate.Centrally Fig. 5 is a section of the central in the well a water-pipe,D, is vertically supA ported, adapted to rest upon a stone or other hardbase, D. The pipe D is to be of a size usually employed by thefire-department, provided with nozzles d at each door, to which nozzlesthe lines of hose are applied. Aseries of stopcocks are also providedthe stand-pipe at suitable points in its length to control the supply ofwater.

C, Fig. 4, represents one of a series of steps Or treads whcrewith aspiral stairway, C', is constructed around and about thepipe D. Eachstep is more or less triangular in shape and provided at the reduced endwith an integral eye, e, adapted to be entered over the centralsupporting-pipe, D, as shown in Fig. 2, and E represents the platformused at each landing, which is supported in similar manner to the steps.

The rise ofthe steps and platforms are both regulated by metal rings E',having an inside diameter equal to the outside diameter ofthe pipe D,one or more rings, as the case may de mand, encircling the pipe D, andintervening each step and the steps and platforms, the wide end of thestep being supported in the wall ofthe well.

A railing, H, is provided the steps at each side, the better tofacilitate ascent and descent, which railing is preferably made ofordinary gas or water pipe. it will be thus observed that the narrowends of steps are supported on the center pipe, as on a ncwel inordinary winding stairs, and the wide end in the wall.l

The fact of resting one end of the steps upon or in the wall impartsstrength to the structure,each step acting as a dovetail, bracing thewalls of the well at little cost. Thus the well being independent of thewalls of the building, should the latter fallthe former will standintact. The well in private dwellings may be built in any convenientplace and utilized as a back or servants stairway.

It is evident that the escape may be readil y attached to old buildingsat a verysmall cost, and need not necessarily be erected with thebuilding.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-n The combi natioinwith the fire-proof wellA,

IDO

hnilt partly in a dwelling, having iire-proofl on saidpipeD andhavingtheir outer ends proro doors b, a standpipe, D, centrally secured inject in the Wall of the Well, and the platforms said well, provided withnozzles d, a hood or E, secured at their inner ends to the pipe and top,B, secured centrally to the upper end of at their outer ends in thewallof the we1l,snb the pipeD and resting over the upper end of thestantially as shown and described.

Well and secured thereto7 as shown, and an air- WILLIAM MCMULLIN.opening, b, formed between said hood and top wWitnesses: of the well, ofa spiral stairway composed 'of GRANVILLE I. CHITTENDEN,

triangular steps supported at the inner ends W. J. FAIRMAN.

